Railway-rail joint



(No Model.)

D. B. HICKS.

RAILWAY RAIL JOINT.

Patented Nov. 14, 1882.

N. PETERS. Pholu-Likhngnphm, Washingh). n. C,

UNITE ST TES PATENT Trrce.

DANIEL B. HICKS, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

RAILWAY-RAIL JOINT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 267,429, dated November 14, 1882.

Application filed August 25, 1882. (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, DANIEL B. HICKS, of Pittsburg, in the county ot'Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bailway- Rail Joints; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which- Figure lis a transverse section of my improved joint, taken through one of the usual bolt-holes of the rail. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the joint, and Fig. 3 is an end view of one of the fish-plates.

This invention relates to the construction of railway-railjoints; and it consists in the arran gement and combination of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed. The object is to dispense with all bolts and nuts, which, by becoming loose, are a constant source of trouble and danger.

I take the ordinary rail, A, and on each side, under the head and a short distance back from the end, I cutout a groove or recess, a, or several short indentations. The rail A has the usual bolt-holes, b, made oval to permit the expansive and contractile movement of the rail. 1 use an angle-bar for the fish-plate. This consists of the web B and lateral flange O, fitted to the flange of the rail, so as to extend down over the edge of the rail-flange at 0, Figs. 1 and 3. Web B at its upper edge is formed with the lips or projections d, corresponding with the recesses a of two adjacent rails A A, but sufficiently shorter than said recesses to allow the expansive and contractile movement of the rail, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2. Each fish-plate or angle-bar B has on its inner face the studs 0, corresponding to the atf, Fig. 3. The angle-bars are applied to the rails by first inserting the lips cl into the recesses a, under the head of the rails, while the bar is tilted upwardly. Then the bars B are pushed inwardly against the rails, the studs 6 entering the bolt-holes I), after which a clampbar, D, fitted to embrace the lower edges of the flanges O, is driven on the incline f at each end of the angle-bar, thus securing all the parts tightly together, and forming a stiff but elastic rail-joint without bolts or nuts. Spikes may be driven into the ties at suitable points of the joint to prevent creeping of the rails. Though so firm and secure, the devices of the joint are easily detached without injury by simply driving off the clamps D.

The studs 0 may be riveted or welded in place on the bars B, or they may be formed in the process of rolling the bars.

The clamps D may be wrought into shape on a former, or rolled and cut, or they'may he of malleable cast-iron or steel. A single wide clamp-bar may be used instead of two.

I claim as my invention In a railway-rail joint the rails A A, each having one or more recesses or slots, at, on both sides, and the apertures b in the web, in combination with the angle-bars B 0, having studs 6, lips (I, and inclinesf, and one or more clamps, D, substantially as described.

In testimony thatI claim theforegoin g as my own I have hereto aflixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DANIEL B. HICKS.

Witnesses:

T. J. MoTrenn, D. E. DAVIS. 

